Vegan Ben and Jerry's

I am so glad that a big brand like Ben and Jerry's has thrown their hat into the Vegan ring.

The three options Ben and Jerry offer are the Peanut Butter and Cookies, Chunky Monkey and Fudge Brownie.


The more accessible vegan options are the much more likely they are to change their eating habits and if not for the animals then why not for your waistline?

Since the only one I have come across in shops is the Fudge Brownie my decision was an easy one to make.

The Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie showing from Ben and Jerry's will save almost 200 calories if, like me you down a full tub the second ones opened, compared to the standard Brownie version.

Now this might not mean a lot but when you are wanting to spoil yourself yet keep your spare tire at bay then this might be an option to explore, certainly still calorific but it could of been worse and you might even save a baby cow or two.

With you needing to cut 500kcal a day to lose a pound a week if a tub of Ben and Jerry's is a regular fixture on your shopping list give the vegan version a go.

I can honestly say I could not tell a difference in taste or texture wise between either and believe me I researched it thoroughly.

The only thing I don't like about Vegan Ben and Jerry's , and it isn't anything to do with the product it's self but more the shops that sell it.

Where as the regular varieties are frequently on offer the vegan ones never seem to be and if you have read my previous posts you will know I am a sucker for a bargain.

I fully recommend the Vegan Ben and Jerry's I am just not so happy that it is never discounted.

Check out Ben and Jerry's full range by clicking here

Temple Donuts

I had been hearing rumours about a mysterious new coffee and vegan a quick trot from my house so I off I went searching for adventure and delicious treats

Imagine that, donuts with no animal products in them, would of thought it was possible?

Certainly not I  Crispy Creme, who are arguably the worlds most popular brand.

Tucked away on Kirkstall road you can smell the coffee well before you get inside, let that be your guide as I did find it a little tricky to find, but if you want it badly enough you will find it.

The first time I went there were people queueing out of the door and into the car park, this was a Sunday but I have gone during the week and been able to charge in, grab the donuts and get the funk out of there.

I really like the interior of Temple, I can certainly see why it seems to be a hipster haven with seating inside and out if you fancy taking a rest and truly appreciate your environment.  

I did however feel a little too awkward to take any pictures so you will have to pay them a visit or check out their instagram by clicking here .

Customer service wise, I was given what i asked for and that was about it, being from a customer service background I am probably a little picky but no major concerns.

"But are the donuts a like taste of baked perfection?" I hear you cry!

Well yes I would say that they.

I think they absolutely blow Crispy Creme out of the water, if given the choice I would pick Temple time and time again.

I found the donuts to be softer, lighter, bigger and much more generous with the fillings, the only downside would be the price.

For almost £20 you can get a box of 6 donuts but worth every penny and with the size of them you could comfortably cut them half and everyone would be satisfied.

In fact I did this with my team and everyone was amazed by the quality and were also surprised that  they are vegan, hopefully changing some attitudes on vegan alternatives in the process.

If I am honest I couldn't have a while one to myself  without feeling a wee bit sick, possibly not the best thing to write in a review but there it is

If you are on a budget sharing donuts is more than doable without either of you feeling hard done to.

Temple is certainly worth a look at if you can find them, I am hoping they look into Ubereats to get their vegan delights out to the whole city.

My last thoughts on this are that Temple are a prime example of a product is a higher quality than the main stream options that makes no use of animals to make it.

  Why are we still using animal by products when you can have something that is just as good if not better?  

I can get my head round eating a steak but then you find out they put fish in lilt it absolutely boggles my brain.

Clive's Pies

I first came across Clive's Pies at the Vegan Life Live event in London a couple of years back and didn't get the opportunity to try one at the time as proved to be so popular that they sold out.

Rude!

So you can imagine my delight then I spied a pie from Clive in my local Holland and Barrets.

Although our Clive has quite the range of flavours from Hungarian goulash to Mexican chilli, I decided to play it safe and go for a little mushroom and leek number.

Don't get me wrong I have full faith in Clive to deliver on his promise of a tasty pie but I likes what I likes and that is mushroom and leek and I haven't got the money to take any risks with my dinner plans.

I quite enjoyed my pie, usually when I dabble in foods that are vegan I usually think to myself
"this is good but it would be great with meat in it" and that did not spring to mind this time.

 This time I was completely content with having a vegan meal and didn't have the urge to rifle though the cupboards in search of chicken, green eggs or ham.

As the pastry goes it's very hard to judge it on it's own merits.

 I feel it was very good considering there is no gluten or butter as I don't have much room for comparison.

 I feel it a step or two behind dizzying quality of a Greg's steak slice but not at all bad

If you are interested in dear old Clive then please check out his website by clicking here or check out your local Holland and Barrets.

 Clive's talents don't stop at Pies either he also has a range of exquisite little tarts, gluten free brownies and the festive classic, the nut roast.

Graze snack box

Ok, well I am admittedly late to game with this one!

I think most people heard of the legendary Graze box, a magical figure appears once a week and deliveries a box of amazing snack foods and treats for your gluttonous pleasure.

First things first, I'm the realest and you get your first Graze box for free or at least discounted.

 This first hit from the Graze box lets you know that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who get a Graze box and those who don't and I know how I wish to continue my life.

I almost compare a Graze box to people with Sky TV when I was growing up, if someone had Sky they had pretty much made it in life in my eyes and the same goes to those regular Grazers.

If you decide to subscribe and a more opulent existence then you can decide on which box you would like, variety, light or protein how often your box of joy arrives, weekly or fortnightly.

I went for the variety box and a fortnightly delivery, yes I know I should of gone for protein box with this being a health and fitness blog but I have needs and feeling that protein alone just won't satiate.

If you have any dietary requirements or are just a plain, annoying picky eater you can opt out of certain ingredients like nuts or even spicy foods and highlight your favourites so you are more likely to receive them.

I received an alert to let me know they the box had been dispatched and the next day it was here, the box is designed to fit through your letter box which you don't need any form of direct human interact to get your mitts on your goodies.

Each snack comes with a little card with all the nutritious information and ingredients on it in case you wanted to see exactly what makes up each snack.

With the cost a Graze box being only £3.99 they are well worth the money and i you are going on holiday you can pause them until you get back and cancelling your box is just a quick click as well.

If you do move house make sure you do change your address, as my friends  benefited from the previous tenant not changing their details and feasted on Grazes for months as well as Sky Tv,

If you are some how reading this Natalie Reed, my friends thank you for your forgetful nature!

I completely, 100%, absolutely recommend  Graze boxes to anyone and everyone, it's like having someone send a gift each week, even though you are paying for it.

If you want to see how I got on with another box superscription service then check out the review I did for Muscle Crate, a gym supplement box, by clicking here

I actually got some codes sent with my box for a free box!

Promo code: PLK2CDWFB

Click the link here to hit up their website.

I am not sure how many people it will work for but it's worth a go for a taste of how the other half live.

Man Tan

I have become some what of vampire this year.

Working too much or recovering from work means I didn't pull myself together and make the most of the summer sun this year.

 I decided that I needed to do something to at least give the appearance that I live a rich and fulfilling life outside and thanks to Facebook advertising I was led to Mantan!

But why Mantan, why not some risky little number from Poundland?  I hear you cry.

Well Mantan has two selling points that initially grabbed my attention.
 These being that it is specially designed for body builders and that it smells like Davidoff Cool Water!

I opted for their original tan and  a Manmit while I was at it which set me back £25.99

Mantan comes in a couple of variations, Dark, Express and Definition so it's bound to meet all of your tanning needs.

Dark is as the name suggests and is the darkness tan without you feeling the need to get on stage and start pulling your power poses.

Express is a fast tan which develops in around an hour for those last minute plans

Definition is designed for body builders and is even resistant to sweat!

I would say that ManTan is very reasonably priced for the high quality of the product, how long a bottle lasts, the ease of the mousse's application, the streak free end result and that delicious Cool Water scent.

I found the tan really easy to use and Manmit made applying the tan much easy than using an old sock and I felt that I had an a really good, even tan, this is coming from someone who very rarely uses anything like fake tan.

Then only issue I can say I had with Mantan is that my underwear did end up looking like my bum hole had leaked, thank goodness I do my own washing!

With Mantan being designed with men in mind I was curious about how it would take to women's skin, in steps my serial fake tanning neighbour!

The verdict from her was that she loved it, absolutely everything about it, especially the Cool Water fragrance, I imagine  it's so she could pretend there is a man about her house once in a while.

I would highly recommend Mantan to everyone, I can't compliment the product enough, I even love the packaging.

Sadly Mantan is only available online so if you want to get some click the link here

 I will be getting some again in the future for when my friend does his first competition so be sure to look out for that.

Aspire, healthy energy

Aspire were incredibly generousness and sent me two full crates of their entire range of healthy energy drinks to review and review them I did!

Aspire have three flavours in their range, Apple and Acai, Mango Lemonade and Cranberry, all accompanied by the subtle taste of green tea.

I personally enjoyed the Mango Lemonade the most but couldn't really get past the green tea after taste, however my neighbour went absolutely wild for the Apple and Acai flavour, to the point I thought she was going to shed a tear when she thought my supply had run out!

Needless to say Aspire have at the very least gained a new customer in her.

But what sets Aspire apart from the more main stream energy drinks like red bull or monster?

Energy wise I feel that Aspire is a much cleaner sort of buzz with no sugar crash and zero calories.

With a 250 ml of red bull containing over 100 kcals just changing to Aspire could see you start dropping some of your excess blubber in no time at all with no real effort on your part.

Aspire boasts natural ingredients such a premium green tea, guarana seed extract, L- Carnitine ,Ginger root, vitamins C and B all working together to speed up your weight loss along side other benefits to your overall health. 

I personally did not really enjoy the taste of Aspire but that doesn't mean that you won't, my neighbour is looking into booking a church to marry a multi pack of the stuff.

 I certainly can't deny  how pleasant the energy it gave me was or how low in calories each can is.

Give it a try and you might fall in love too, click the link here to check out where you can get your mitts on some of your every own.

If you are a fan of tea based drinks then check out my post on Little Miracles

Souper High Protein Soups

They will try adding protein to anything right now, with the advent of Mars's dabble into the protein market I thought I would go back to basics and try some good old fashioned soup!.

I came across Souper on the shelves of my Asda for only £1 a grabbed a couple along with some of my favourite multi-seeded bread, nothing but the best for my lunch.

Believe it or not but soup is really trendy right now, with it potential being a low calorie yet filling and satisfying option a lot of people are opting to swap greasy burgers and chips for a hearty soup.

There is certainly no soup that I have come across that has been heartier than Souper's soups, packed full of chicken, vegetables, lentils and beans makes this an incredibly filling soup that will keep you satisfied until dinner time.

But what about the protein, I hear the meat heads cry, lets face it that's probably why you clicked on the blog and I am grateful that you did.

Souper's chicken soup has 4.4 grams of protein per 100g to put this into perspective I have used Heinz cream of chicken soup for a comparison with Heinz only managing to get in 1.7g of protein in it's 100g.

Souper also has a heck of lot of fibre with 2.6g compared to Heinz's 0.1g per 100g

Heinz does have lower calories but with only 18 calories between them and how much more satisfying Souper is you will be more likely to avoid snacking later, plus you are getting all that juicy protein and fibre to boot.

If you opt for Souper you are going to get more than double the protein, be more likely to stave off hunger later in the day and, in my opinion, get a much more enjoyable soup.

If you don't fancy chicken souper then don't worry Souper also make peppered beef, pulled pork and for you vegans and vegetarians out there a super greens soup for you to enjoy.

I started this review saying soups were basic but there is certainly nothing basic about Souper soups, in fact I would go as far as to say that they are Super!

Humpit, Hummus and Pita Bar

    I had been meaning to give Humpit a go for quite awhile now, every time I pop into the Corn Exchange in Leeds I do dare myself to do in but for whatever reason the stars haven't quite aligned.

Then along came Facebook and a competition Humpit were running, giving away a meal for two, get liking there page as they regularly have give a ways, just blast the link here

Throwing caution to the wind I entered and I won!

 Now my only problem was rustling up a friend. 

Luckily my neighbour is always up for a feed, especially if it's free so off we went.

If you haven't guessed yet Humpit, the hummus and pita bar sell hummus and pita but along with that they also do amazing smoothies and the best  falafel in the UK.

Being the greedy beasts that me and my friend are we both opted for the works, hummus with chick peas, salsa, mushrooms and onion,

falafel, a nice bit of pita and a delicious smoothie.

Everything on my plate was really tasty, filling, vegan and in a super generous portion size to the point where I couldn't finish everything on my plate.

My stomach being defeated by some hummus haunts me to this very day.

The salsa does have some heat to it, not enough to take your tits off but enough to know it's there so you might need to take this into consideration.

The service was fast and really friendly.

In fact the staff all must have the patience of saints.

With a system where your name is called out when your food is ready you need your customers to have a certain amount of awareness and the sense not to wander off.

The only thing I could possibly be critical of is that Humpit seems to be a victim of their own success.

Sadly their premises isn't huge so when a queue does build up it can feel quite claustrophobic and what seems like a struggle for the staff to dash in and out with peoples orders, there is additional seating outside of the shop but this is limited.

This issues is being looked into and talks with the new owners of the Corn Exchange are taking place to see if a solution can be found.

There is the option to takeaway and also have everything delivered straight to your door by using Deliveroo.

I would certainly recommend Humpit to everyone, not just vegans, I for one will definitely be popping back in!

If you are popping into the Corn Exchange then why not also pay a visit to Benz and Blanc for all your vegan oral care needs and even clip on veneers!

Opitat Coffee Body Scrubs

Optiat is another great find that I discovered at the Vegan Life Live Expo in London and they kindly offered me a discount to review their whole range!

Optiat is a start up company based in London, England making use of what would normally go to land fill and pollute the planet.

You might not think it but coffee grounds are very damaging to the environment, when they break down they become methane which contributes even more towards global warming carbon dioxide does, twenty times more!

Not only does Optiat save the world by using the coffee ground but it also saves the animals with their entire range being vegan.

Opitat is an acronym for One Persons Trash Is Another Person's Treasure which is a very appropriate name considering the grounds are normally thrown away buy the coffee shops they source them from.

 Opitat have created a brilliant body scrub from coffee grounds and added four fragrances to them, just in case the smell of coffee alone doesn't do it for you!

You can take your pick from Peppermint, Vanilla, Mandarin and Lemongrass, with all them having different benefits thanks to the different essential oils.

Peppermint is antibacterial, helps with headaches, stomach upsets, curbs appetite, boosts energy, relaxes tight muscles and  boost mental focus.

If you really want to take your shower to the next level then pair the Peppermint scrub with a Help Me, I'm too Busy for Colds spray

 Perfect first thing in a morning after a big gym session or a big gin session!

Lemongrass is again anti bacterial, helps ward off insects, boosts energy and reduces muscle pain.

Vanilla has surprising benefits. From helping to heal wounds to aiding in lifting depression and even increasing your sex drive, luckily vanilla also helps your sleep so you can blame that if you drift off to sleep afterwards.

Mandarin can help reduce stress and anxiety, it's an antiseptic and helps promote growth of new cells.

All four have the benefits of coffee such as helping with eczema, stretch marks and cellulite while also promoting cell renewal, the added shea butter and almond oil with help moisturise your skin.

I love the packaging and I was surprised at how earthy the scrub was in contrast to the clean and crisp packaging.

My skin felt amazing after using all of the scrubs but I must say I lean more towards the Peppermint and Lemongrass as I could smell them much more strongly than the Mandarin and Vanilla.

What I did find unusual was that when my friend used the Mandarin I could smell it from the other side of the room but when I used it on myself I really struggled to pick out it over the smell of the coffee.

The scrub, just like it's appearance has a very earthy consistency and you can really feel it scrubbing away at you, not the point where you are in pain etc but you can certainly feel it doing it's job.

I can't speak highly enough about Optiat, a great product doing great things for the environment and your skin.

If you fancy bagging yourself a bottle then please click here and check out their shop.

Help Me Organics Room Sprays

I was very kindly sent one of Help Me Organics room sprays.

Help Me Organics is a company based in Cheshire, England that specialise in making vegan friendly candles and room sprays with the aim of  helping people with every day problems from anxiety to stress to sleeplessness.

Out of there range of three sprays in the range I opted for their Help Me, I'm too busy for Colds room spray since I always seem to be coming down with some illness or another.

The other sprays available are Help Me, It's way past my bed time and Help Me, apparently I'm hormonal room sprays with soy candles to match if that is more your style.

Since I sleep more than should be legally allowed and I would fear suggesting that any of the delicate flowers in my life may be hormonal I felt the my choice was an easy one.

So what does a anti cold spray smell of?

You might of guessed that it is very with menthol with eucalyptus, tea tree and peppermint being the strongest scents with more subtle hints of lavender and tangerine.

The spray also contains Linalool, which has a floral with a hint of spice scent, Limonene which can either smell of orange or minty/ turpentine depending on the kind you get and Geraniol which is rose scented.

I had no idea of what these smelt of and had to resort to google to clue me in.

I struggle to pick up on the some on the scents in the spray, however that doesn't mean you won't.

Just like our sense of taste some of us are better at picking out scents than others.

"But why those fragrances?" I hear you plead!

 Eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree and lavender are all antibacterial, tangerine is anti-fungal and antiseptic

My top tip with this spray is to use it in your bathroom either before or during your shower to really get your lungs going.

If you are worried about using a room spray near any pets then never fear as my neighbours cat became an unwitting volunteer.

He sniffed the air for a moment then went straight back to other big agenda items like licking his crotch!

Cats tend to not like citrus scents so if are worried about your precious moggy try and avoid those types of fragrances.

I really like the room spray and kick myself if I forget to use it during my morning shower or don't pack it in my gym bag!

The only real negative I would say is that I struggle to read the smaller print on the bottle, this is very nit picky and certainly does not stop me from enjoying the product but did feel it worth mentioning.

I will certainly be picking up a candle next for my dear mother to enjoy, I would argue that giving birth to me would be gift enough but apparently not!

If you wanting to treat yourself as well then click here for their website and use the discount code boneidol10 to get 10% ( valid until the 12th June 2017)

Georganics, Organic Oral Care

I was very kindly given some Georganics re- mineralising peppermint tooth paste and a bottle of their coconut oil mouthwash by Benz and Blanc, a beauty store that you can find in the Corn Exchange in Leeds.

I am sure you have read my post on oil pulling but just in case you haven't or need a cheeky refresh on it's health benefits then slip your finger here

Georganics make all natural oral care products, free from all the unnecessary chemicals that are put into your every day tooth pastes and mouth washes, yes that does include fluoride! 

There is a debate about how much fluoride we are getting, with excessive amounts actually causing teeth to decay so if this is a concern for you Georganics can offer you a high quality alternative.

Now on to what I actually thought about the toothpaste and mouthwash.

The toothpaste reminds me a lot of Arm and Hammer in both taste and consistency but without the fluoride.

Instead of the paste coming in a tube, you get a tin and a spatula to get your paste onto your toothbrush, now this might put people off by adding slightly more effort in your twice daily brushing routine but I actually prefer using the spatula.

There are two reasons for this, with both leading to the same result, getting more for my money.

Being the hench beast that I am I sometimes squeeze my toothpaste tube to hard and end up using more than I need and I am always determined to get as much out of my tooth paste tube as possible when it is running low, with can be a struggle to get every last crumb out.

With a spatula I can't go wrong!

All in all I really like the toothpaste, it is a bit more expensive than what I normally pay but it lasts longer, has no added rubbish and leaves my teeth feeling stronger than my regular brand.

On to the mouth wash.

My biggest issues with oil pulling are the taste of the oil and that my oil of choice, coconut, isn't easy to swish about my mouth due to how visceral it is.

With the Georangics Oil Pulling Mouth Wash neither are an issue.

The mouth wash is easy to swill and has a subtle peppermint taste leaving my mouth feeling fresh and clean, to the point where I have to remind myself that I haven't brushed my teeth yet!

The best thing about the mouthwash is that it doesn't burn or sting my mouth like Listerine or Corsidol without compromising on that clean feeling.

With coconut oil and peppermint offering anti bacterial and anti viral properties you don't have to endure any nonsense from those main stream brands to keep your mouth in tip top condition.

I am really impressed with the mouthwash and absolutely recommend anyone to try it either if you are not an oil pulling convert yet.

Benz and Blanc don't just stop at mouth wash and toothpaste they also stock Charcoal Whitening Powder, which is currently on sale at a discounted price, beauty treatments and amazing clip on veneers.

Be sure to follow Benz and Blanc on their twitter and instagram as they regularly run discounts and competitions or better yet pop in and give them a visit on the top floor of the Corn Exchange.

Fresh Naturals: Bombs, Fizz and Salts

                 This post has been on the back burner for far too long.

I do feel really bad about this because I love Fresh Naturals, not only the brand but the products and customer service I have received have been outstanding.

Basically I was all set to do my write it up, made  videos, went the whole nine yards  and then disaster struck and my phone was stolen.

Thankfully Fresh Naturals kindly sent me over some images to use for my post!

Fresh Naturals are a Leeds based start up and specialise in "free from" products.

                         Free from cruelty, paraffins, parabens and SLS while also stocking  vegan friendly products.

They are essentially Lush but without the massive price tag!

But  why you don't you want SLS, Paraffins and Parabens in your products?

Well I am going to tell you!

SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, if you want to be dead fancy, can cause skin irritation and  potentially cause a hormone imbalance.
This means your PMT may be down to your favourite volumizing  shampoo.

Menfolk need to worry too because if you are dipping into your ladies beauty products then SLS may be your fertility!

Paraffins  can also cause skin irritation, Parabens can cause hormone disruption and both have links to cancer.


Now cruelty free is not the same as vegan.

Cruelty free means animals are not harmed in the development or manufacture of products.

Confusingly not every animal seems to be included under that umbrella and currently there is no legal definition of what  Cruelty free actually is.

A good example of this is any product that uses honey if you want find out why honey is not vegan then click the link here.

"Cruelty Free"  also doesn't cover farming practises such as palm oil.

PETA does have products on their website listed as vegan when they contain palm oil, naughty PETA!

If you want to know why palm oil is not vegan then please click the link here

If this is a concern for you Fresh Naturals do have a designated vegan section on their site so your shopping is much more stream lined and completely animal cruelty free.

Now the heavy stuff is out of the way let's swiftly move onto something lighter!

I came across Fresh Naturals on  twitter and won one of their competitions.

The only thing I had ever won before was a goldfish and that died after a week and since soap can't die I didn't have to worry about any heart break!

If you want to see what I thought of my prizes then please click here

Fresh Naturals also got me started onto the road to looking  into not only what I put into my body but also what I am lathering myself in.

I fell ill at the back end of last year and was generally having a bit of a stressful time so I decided it was the perfect time to revisit them.

I was originally only going to be getting a Dr De-Sniffle bath bomb to help banish my woes but Fresh Naturals were having none of that and piled on the freebies sending me Bath Fizz and Bath Salts!

 The first thing I did was throw the Bath Bomb in the bath, just in case you were unsure of the best place to use a bath bomb.

To my slight panic it didn't float like all those snap chat videos and  hit the bottom of my tub with a thud!

The water  gained a sea green hue instead of the toxic looking water you get with more famous brands bath bombs.

The scents were not over powering but still managed to completely relaxed me.
 I couldn't tell you the last time I have had such a deep, refreshing sleep.

If you are wanting the good Dr De-Sniffle to visit your bathroom please bare in mind that he isn't vegan as it has an ingredient derived from coal.

Now the Bath Fizzs are vegan so you can go absolutely wild with them.

I was sent two fizzs, Coconut and Almond and Silcillain Lemon and Calendula, it seems that the Lemon and Calendula fizz isn't available anymore but you can get your hands on the bath salt version.

Calendula is just fancy for English Marigold in case you were wondering, I know I was!

Both smelt amazing but still with a subtle fragrance and as you can imagine when you pop them into your bath they fizz then disperse.

The Almond and Coconut one being white didn't effect the colour of the water.

The Lemon and Calendula gave the water a lime sort of hue, it might be yellow you can see for yourself in the picture as my colour blindness isn't much of a help when deciding which colour things are.

Again I made a video but it went with my stolen phone but I did manage to get hold of some pictures I had transferred to my computer.

I was also sent two different bath salts, Tea Tree and Spearmint, both great when you are under the weather!

My top tip for using bath salts is to put some in one of Fresh Natural's Buffer Bags and hang it round your tap and run the water through as your bath is filling to evenly distribute the salts.

Both very relaxing and the fragrances are not over powering which can ruin bath time if you are swamped with a really strong fragrance.

After using all of the products my skin kept  the fragrance of the product.

 Almost like a gentle reminder to place another order, which I took heed of and ensured those nearest and dearest to me were gifted with a selection of Fresh Naturals products for Christmas.

Fresh Naturals don't stop with just bath products and I will be writing more about their wares in the future.

 While you are waiting with bated breath check them out on twitter, instagram, facebook and of course their online shop!

Be sure to get your loved ones some of their  Valentine's Day Soaps, not only will they undoubtedly love them but you will also be supporting a cruelty free, local business.

Win win in anybodies book!

Organic and Botanic, Cruelty Free Skincare

I was kindly sent a tub of Madagascan Coconut Preserving Day Moisturiser and  a jar of Madagascan Coconut Brightening Eye Serum to review.

Organic and Botanic are a luxury, organic, cruelty free skin care company so no paraffins, parabens or SLS  thrown into any of their range and no animals have suffered for your beautiful skin.

With paraffins, parabens and SLS being linked to skin irritation, hormone disruption and even cancer their absence more than welcome and the reason I am promoting these products on a health and fitness blog.

Their product range stems from three main plant based ingredients, Mandarin Orange, Amazonian Berry and Madagascan Coconut.

Mandarin has excellent antiseptic, anti fungal properties while also nourishing with vitamin C and E whilst also toning your skin, helping with acne and oily skin.

Amazonian Berry is a little hard to work out, I assume it is Acai berry but it's not really clear.

Now if it is in fact Acai then it is again packed full of vitamins C and E making it great for anti ageing and along with it's omega fatty acids it will help tighten and lift your skin.

Madagascan Coconut has  anti bacterial, anti inflammatory and anti fungal qualities as well promoting collagen in the skin and packed full of vitamin E to help keep your face eternally young!

Onward to the actually review!

Both products smell absolutely amazing.
I didn't know if I was supposed to eat them or smear my face in them.

The cream has such a strong a aroma that you can smell it from the other side the room if someone is putting it on, I see this a big positive, I absolutely adore the smell of it.

You don't need you use a lot either product, with the eye serum tightening the skin around my eyes almost immediately and the cream absorbing into my skin just as fast.

My skin felt both tighter and softer from day one however even though I love both products and it broke my heart doing it,
I felt I needed to give them a more rigorous review.

In steps my neighbour!

Now I hope she won't mind me saying that on occasion  she does get the odd out break of acne where as I barely even get a spot month to month.

 Within days of using the day moisturiser her skin cleared up and as the cream did with me made her skin softer.

She has been using both daily for months, loves both products and still has plenty left

The only potentially negative thing I could say is that I didn't really know what I was doing with the pipette.

When I tried to put it directly onto my face I ended up with it in my eye, luckily with all the ingredients being organic I didn't go blind.

Going forward I used a cotton pad to avoid any further accidents.

Now the awkward part the price.

Organic and Botanic are a luxury brand and you pay a luxury price to get a very definite luxury product.

The moisturiser retails for £67 and the eye serum for £69 and I feel both are very much worth the price tag.

With the quality of ingredients, quantity you need to use and the quality of the products in general you really are getting value for money.

If I had someone special in my life then I would definitely be picking some up and I think I am a bit past buying my mum a Valentines!

TrueNopal Cactus Water

2016 seemed to be all about Coconut Water and the trend seems to be still be going strong but even though I am partial to the odd carton I am hoping that True Nopal Cactus Water is going to take off in a big way!

I first came across it at the Vegan Life Live Expo and have been obsessed ever since, sadly the only place I have been able to get my hands on some is at my local Waitrose, which is almost 3 miles away!

 The best thing for me about  cactus water is the taste.

 It isn't a flavour that you need to get your head around like the first few times you have coconut water, with the cactus water having a fruitier taste,.

If you like the taste of fruit flavoured water then you will more than likely enjoy cactus water.

Cactus water is also less than half the calories of coconut water so if you are you an avid fan of coconut water and wanting an effortless way to cut some calories cactus water may be the way to go.

Cactus water seems to have a little bit of everything in it with 250ml containing 15% of your RDA of vitamins C and A.

16% of your calcium.

20% of your RDA if manganese and 13% of your magnesium.

A splash of your of all your B vitamins apart from B12.

7% of your iron and 5% of your zinc and 1.9g of fibre.

Cactus water does also have potassium but no where near as much as coconut water.

Cactus water also helps lower blood sugar, blood pressure and is anti inflammatory.

If you are near a Waitrose then pop in and treat yourself to some delicious True Napal Cactus Water!

Chop'd Salad Bar

A couple of weeks ago Chop'd Salad Bar launched at Central Square, Leeds and to celebrate they were giving away, well you probably guessed it, salads!

Before all of you salad dodgers stop reading here let me just say that there is much more to Chop'd than just boring old rabbit food!
 Their salads are fully customisable and are a sight to be hold, you won't be left feeling hungry after chomping down on one.

I hope Chop'd will forgive the comparison but the ordering system is similar to Fatsos, where you line up and select what you would like in your salad or wrap.

Choose up to three bases of pasta, rice, cous cous, house leaf or deli leaf.
Three veg options from a choice of 19.
 One deli from a choice of 16 including vegan options such as tofu, falafal and humus, I just need Chop'd to get some Tyne Chease on the menu!
You also get what appears to be unlimited amount of the 16 dressings or 12 garnishes that are on offer.

Too much pressure or too lazy to construct your own lunch?
Then you can pick one of the Chop'd's pre prepared salads, all of which sound amazing!

Salad not your thing? Well fear not!

Chop'd also do an exciting range of stews and soups  catering for those colder days when you need something hot in your belly.

Now the soups were not exactly what is was expecting, what I got was even better!

Soup and Mango + Coconut dessert

I was foolishly expecting something a kin to Heinz soup but no, Chop'd do a much better job than that with you using a pot of the soup base you would like and have the staff at the counter add the broth you would like from a choice of chicken, beef or vegetable for a fresher tasting soup.

If you are short on time you can also use their click and collect service, giving you the opportunity to take your time deciding without an angry mob forming behind you.

For Chop'd's full menu and their click and collect service then please click here

I was a greedy beast on the launch day and not only had myself a delicious Baked Chicken Katsu Curry but also a soup and a mango and coconut dessert which also just happens to be vegan!

Delicious Stew

The quality of the ingredients were all high and possibly the best chicken I have eaten in the whole of Leeds!

Chop's also do a breakfast menu serving steamed eggs with a choice of topping from gammon, cheese, salmon or avacodo.

They also sell avocado toast, porridge and sour dough or rye with a choice of spreads to go on it.

Seriously get down to Central Square in Leeds and check Chop'd out, I can't rate them highly enough, if you are not in Leeds then hopefully you are in London or Manchester where you can also find Chop'd.

Tyne Chease, Vegan Cheese!

If you were  thinking of making the seemly massive lifestyle change and going vegan then there may well be one thing you just can't be without.

The culprit is usually a big slab of cheese!
Luckily that's where Tyne Chease work their magic and they sent me a wheel to try for myself!

Don't worry, there is a reason for your cheese addiction.

 When you eat cheese the opioid receptors in your brain fire off.
"But what do your opioid receptors do?" I hear you whine!

Well my whiny friend opioid receptors are responsible for addiction, pain and reward.
I don't know about you but I certainly feel no pain when I destroy a big cheesy pizza so that leaves you with the addiction and reward response.

Dairy products contain Casein, yes the same slow release protein found in many workout supplements, including those in Decembers Muscle Crate, had to slide that link in there, sorry ( not sorry)

Casein is found in all dairy products but what makes that glorious cheddar hard to put down is the sheer amount you get per serving.

 But enough about that, you came here for some delicious vegan cheese to help break your serious  addiction and I am happy to give it to you.

Tyne Chease make their cheases from cashew nuts.

Yeah I know, who would of thought to make cheese from cashews?
The people at Tyne Cheases did!

Their chease is absolutely amazing!
It has a strong cheese taste which stays with you long after you have polished off a wheel.

I tried it on it's own, on toast and in pasta

 I was a little hard to spread it, unlike my ex's legs after a few cheeky wines, but once I got it on it tasted exactly like grilled cheese  without having to faff about grilling anything.

The chease doesn't melt like cheese does so I end up with nuggets of chease hidden among my pasta, which to be honest I prefer,

 I absolutely kid you not, it taste 100% authentic.

Tyne Chease's are available in wheels or in handy spreads in 11 different flavours with more planned for this year.

I love the branding, the packaging, the product and that in all the cities in the country for it to be made in it was made in Newcastle.

Personally I am waiting to try the first Tyne Chease Parmo.

Even if you are not vegan get your mouth piece round some of this delicious chease and give those poor cows the day off.

If you want to know the benefits of going dairy free then please click here

Once I get my hands on some more I will be attempting to make a Chease Cake so make sure to follow my twitter, instagram or blog lovin to keep updated!

Vegan Brownies

   Vegan Brownies.

Just like normal brownies but without the breast milk of a cow, the unfertilised eggs of a hen or any of the cruelty that goes into the dairy or egg industries, what could be better?

If you are interested click here for the original recipe I used but I adapted it slightly.

Ingredients:

170g of self raising flour.

170g of caster sugar.

2tbsp of cocoa powder.

5 tbsp of olive oil plus some for greasing your trusty tin of choice.

230ml of chocolate soy milk.

2 tsps of vanilla flavouring.

Method:

Pre heat your oven to 180c

Grease your tin.

Sift together your flour, sugar and cocoa powder.

Add your oil, sugar, soy milk and vanilla and mix until together, I used a manual whisk.

Pour into your tin and cook for about 25 minutes, your brownies should spring back up when you touch them gently when they are cooked.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Boom! Done!

That was pretty painless and you don't need to worry about getting salmonella from eating the uncooked brownie mix.

I am not going to say there were the best brownies I have ever made but they did the job and filled a hole!

On a side note the best brownies I have ever tasted are sold in a shop called Out of this World in Leeds, near the Corn Exchange and they are completely vegan.

Give this simple little recipe a go, it's cheap and easy just like me!

Benefits of Oil Pulling

You might not of heard of oil pulling but since you are clearly the curious sort I will fill you in on this great alternative to harsh mouth washes.

I had heard about it in passing but I got really interested oil pulling when I went to the Vegan Life Live event and heard the people from Vita Coco talk about it's benefits.

I am a fiend for a free sample

Oil pulling gets it name because you pull all the bacteria from between your teeth and gyms with the oil so if you were feeling delicate from that monster gym session last night you can breathe a sight of relief.

All you need to do is swill a tea spoon of oil around your mouth for about 5 minutes then spit it out into a bin.

You need to do this as soon as you wake up for the best results, before having anything to drink or even brushing your nashers.

The reason for this is because apparently your body detoxifies while you sleep and some of these toxins end up in your mouth, hence why you wake up feeling like you had been snacking on kitty litter during the night.

Now the second you have a drink you swallow all those toxins and undo a full nights worth of your bodies hard work.

Oil pulling takes away the fat soluble toxins!

Originally sunflower or sesame oil was used but I like to use coconut oil, which is a little harder to swill but has anti bacterial and anti viral properties while also apparently whitening your teeth and anti ageing because of it's vitamin E content.

Although I have not tried it yet, you can make a  tooth paste from coconut oil and baking powder.
I imagine you could add some spearmint or peppermint oil to it if you are after a minty taste.

These are  home made alternatives to fluoride enriched products which depending on what you read and believe can have negative effects on your body.

 From what I have read most sources are in favour of fluoride but there are some that say that after it accumulates in your body it can actually cause dental decay and even cause your bones to become brittle.

With fluoride being more toxic than lead, so much so it's used to help control pests like rats and cockroaches, there may be some weight to these claims.

I myself have never had any problems with my teeth but maybe I am just storing up problems for the future?

Who knows!
I am will be looking into fluoride free products in the future so I can see how effective I feel they are.

Back onto the oil pulling!

To recap, you can oil pull at any time of the day but it's most effective as soon as you wake up.

Use a teaspoon or two of oil.

Most sources say to oil pull for 20 minutes but I tend to go for 5 minutes, usually in the shower.

Spit it out into a bin afterwards to avoid blocking your drains and rinse your mouth with water.

Then marvel at how much better your mouth feels afterwards.

There only appears to be one major negative of oil pulling and that is their is a risk of the oil being swallowed and ending up in your lungs, which you can probably imagine is not great so be careful!

Let me know if you are a convert if you give it a whirl.

Soy Mince

Since it's Veganuary I have been dabbling with more vegan foods, alternatives and substitutes and thankfully all the major super markets seemed to of jumped onto the band waggon as well.

In the hallowed halls of my local Asda I came across a packet of Soy Mince for £1 so I snapped it up!

Unbelievably all you do is empty the sachet into a bowl, shlomp in some boiling water then wait a minute. 

That's it. Done!

I would say the taste and texture would be like meaty cous cous with a hint of oats.

If you are worried about getting your protein quota fulfilled then worry not, soy mince has 14.9 grams of protein pre 100g of mince. 

I used some to make bolognese and will be looking to make a vegan lasagne and vegan cottage pie at some point, I am sure you will all be on the edge of your seats waiting for the pictures of those.

My bolognese turned out alright, I would say the soy mince is most similar to the meat in keema.

I would be hard pressed to guess that there was no meat and found it very filling and wasn't greasy like when I cook with meat mince.

I am a convert to be honest, not only is it not massively dissimilar to meat but because it's dehydrated soy and will last for months and months in my cupboard and costs a third of what meat mince would do.

Don't be shy, give soy mince a try!

Grove Cafe, Vegan Take Away

You don't always feel like cooking everything from scratch and if you are like me, you don't have a tidy little bae to come home to who'll pop on a pinny and rustle up some delicious  and healthy grub.

Luckily Grove Cafe in Hyde Park, Leeds, will make you vegan pizzas, vegan burgers, vegan chocolate cakes and if you are willing to pay an extra £1 bring it straight to your door!

In the spirit of research I of course order a pizza, burger, cake and destroyed them all in one sitting on my own because that's what real men do!

First up was the pizza.

I ordered a Noon which has vegan cheese, garlic, spinach, peppers and aubergine.

I really enjoyed the pizza.

 The vegan cheese tasted exactly like mozzarella and the pizza had possibly the best base I have ever tried.

Next came the vegan cheese burger and chips.

Not as good as the pizza but still enjoyable. I was disappointed that the vegan cheese was melted on the burger, as a result the burger was a touch cold. The chips were great.

Now the most important course, the vegan chocolate cake!

This was my first time trying a vegan cake and I was not disappointed in the least!

The cake was incredibly rich and moist and I would of had no idea that it was vegan.

Sadly this review does have some negative points, the main one being that Grove Cafe not only sells meat along side it's vegan and vegetarian option but the meat is Halal.

Now before I am accused of Islamaphobia  my issue with Halal meat is that, although there is no kind way to murder an animal, the way meat is made halal is one of the worst ways that animals are slaughtered, religious beliefs don't come in to it for me.

Although I do eat meat I do avoid Halal as much as I can.

Maybe it's hypocritical of me but for me personally Halal isn't something I want to indulge in the same can be said with Veal or Foie Gras.

Whether this will impact your decision to order from there is down to you but I feel if I am writing a review you should have all the information.
 I will continue ordering their delicious vegan options and avoid any Halal.

Now that awkward point is out of way let's talk about the price.

Your money is not going to go as far at Grove Cafe.
 Not only are the prices slighter higher but the portion sizes are smaller than what I am used to for the same price.

I don't think that is a bad thing though.

Take aways should be a treat, vegan or not and a smaller portion size isn't going to kill anyone and if it's a product or company I really like I am happy to pay a bit more.

I really like Grove Cafe and they have a regular customer in me.